The use of bone material including natural bone and bone substitute materials for filling a bone repair site is often used in orthopedic medicine. While bone wounds can regenerate without the formation of scar tissue, fractures and other orthopedic injuries take a long time to heal, during which time the bone is unable to support physiologic loading without the use of implantable medical devices. Metal pins, screws, rods, plates and meshes are frequently required to replace the mechanical functions of injured bone. However, metal is significantly more stiff than bone. Use of metal implants may result in decreased bone density around the implant site due to stress shielding. Physiologic stresses and corrosion may cause metal implants to fracture. Unlike bone, which can heal small cracks through remodeling to prevent more extensive damage and failure, damaged metal implants can only be replaced or removed. The natural cellular healing and remodeling mechanisms of the body coordinate removal of bone and bone grafts by osteoclast cells and formation of bone by osteoblast cells.
Conventionally, bone tissue regeneration is achieved by filling a bone repair site with a bone material (e.g., bone graft). Over time, the bone material is incorporated by the host and new bone remodels the bone material. A bone material can be made from various components such as bone particulates alone or combined with additive materials. However, handling of the bone material, including mixing it with different components and dispensing it can be difficult to reduce waste and introduction of containment into the bone material can occur.
Currently, there are various delivery instruments used for bone material dispensing, however, these instruments do not mix and also deliver the bone material. For example, a user (e.g., surgeon) can mix the bone material with liquid components in a bowl before the bone material is loaded into a dispensing instrument. However, the use of a bowl can create a messy and non-sterile environment, often leading to waste especially when transferring the bone material to a dispensing instrument. Further, by using separate instruments to mix and dispense the bone material, the amount of time the bone material can be administered to the patient is prolonged.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide devices for effectively mixing and dispensing bone material. It would also be beneficial for a user to be able to mix the bone material in the device via a flexible body such that mixing can be done just prior to dispensing. Methods and kits for mixing and dispensing bone material would also be beneficial.